Oh boy- time for yet another BIG decision! Is it weird to not have family as guardians? Our Bumpies on the Parenting after 35 Board shared their thoughts on choosing a guardian:

“We designated the best man from our wedding and his wife.  My brother doesn’t want children and DHs brothers are kind of a mess.  My brother would be in charge of the money aspect, but our friends would be great at raising our boys. ” -smerk*

“We decided to go with DH’s best friend and his wife.  They have 3 young children and are good people.  Though they are not our religion, I’m not too concerned about that because they fit the bill on everything else and are still our best option.” -Strunell

“I don’t think it has to be family.  It should be whoever you feel the most comfortable raising. To be honest, the only person I would feel comfortable taking care of DD2 if something were to happen to us is DD1, who is actually insistent that she get her little sister to take care of. So that’s probably weirder than not having family as guardians.” -aurora974

“This isn’t something that should be decided based on family “politics” or the risk of hurt feelings — this is about your child and who will love him and raise him the way that you want him to be raised.” -ELF4321

“As parents, our most important job is to raise our kids well.  If we die, we want the most capable people to raise our children, the ones who agree with our value system.  In my case, it’s my brother, but if I didn’t trust him, I’d have no problem going somewhere else.” -meganandchester9

“You need to pick the person/people that you would trust to raise your child/children bottom line.  Family or friends who cares?” -jlw250

“I don’t think there is anything wrong with naming someone outside your family if they are the people that you would trust the most with your child.  I try to think about it in terms of who would give the best life for our child if something were to happen to us and if that is someone outside of your family there is nothing wrong with that.” -sparky1

Tell us: How did you choose your child’s guardian?

More from The Bump:

As the weather warms up and the sun starts shinin’, it is time to focus on protection (not that kind of protection, get your heads out of the gutter!). Now that we’re gearing up for sunny skies, you need sunscreen!

Babies and young children have such fair skin, so the importance of blocking it from the sun should be a major priority as spring approaches — whether you put it on them or someone else does while you are at work/away.

Our Bumpies on the Working Moms board gave their two cents when it comes to sunscreen and it’s application at daycare or school. The question was, “Do I have daycare put the difficult stuff on, or should I provide a simple spray to avoid being ‘that’ parent?”

Here’s what mom’s said:

“If I were you, I’d put on a physical blocker in the morning and send an easier to apply one to daycare for re-application.” -1026pumpkin*

“I send sticks and sprays to school because it’s easier to apply. I would rather they put something on them than nothing!” -azurmama

“Most centers follow strict policies on applying sunscreen: each child must have their own, labeled with their name, and parent authorization form must be signed. Hopefully this ensures application!” -f198400

“I use Blue Lizard, but I have heard good things about Badger too. Anything with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide are your physical blockers.” -hoping4more

“My daycare had a sign off form about sunscreen and I checked the box that said use what I provide and brought in a bottle of a physical blocker.” -Nita147

“We also have a super-thick sunblock. At this point, they have it and say they put it on him.  They haven’t complained about it, so for now, it’s what we’re going to keep.  If they do complain about it, then I’ll replace it with something a little easier.  Something is better than nothing!” -Ms5586

*Some names have been changed.

Tell us: What type of sun block do you send with your little ones in the warm weather?

Plus, more from The Bump: 

Is Sunscreen Safe for Baby?

Differences Between Daycare and Hiring a Nanny?

How to Know What’s Happening at Daycare

I can’t count how many times I’ve said, “I don’t know” in the last five months. The most were in the first few days my son was born. I said it to the nurse who asked if we wanted the baby to sleep in the nursery or stay in my hospital room. I said it to the doctor who asked how many wet diapers he had in a day. To the lactation consultant who asked how well he was breastfeeding. To the friend who wondered why we didn’t use her name suggestion. To the friend who asked when we’ll start solids and what our vaccination schedule will be. And to the husband who asked how he can best help. I just didn’t know!

Sometimes, it bothered me to say that I didn’t have all the answers. It seemed like some things a mom should just know the answer to. Other times, I thought people were expecting too much of me, wanting me to remember things when I was sleep deprived and crazy busy and to be completely learned in a topic with a ton to learn. And honestly, the only way I would’ve been able to answer some of the questions is if I’d had a crystal ball and could see into the future.

Eventually, I realized that it’s okay for a new mom not to not have all the answers. And how could you? If you think about it, when was the last time you experienced such a huge onslaught of new things all at once? When was the last time you experience such a drastic physical change in your body? When was the last time you had so many emotions over one single event? When was the last time you had such a great responsibility placed upon you so suddenly? It’s like having plastic surgery, graduating from college, getting married (to a virtual stranger) and starting a new job all in the same day!

Eventually you learn. You get a routine down. Your baby’s eating and sleeping become more predictable, making it easier to notice when something is off. And you get to the point where you’re okay saying “I don’t know” and answering the question later, when the right time comes.

Embrace the uncertainty that comes with motherhood. Give yourself a break, do your best, and surround yourself with people who want the best for you and your child. That’s all you need to be great parent — not all the answers.

During baby’s first weeks, which things were a learning process and which things were instinctual for you?

Heads up moms and moms-to-be! It’s that time of year again.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new flu vaccine that will be used during the 2012-2013 season.

Each year the FDA, in conjunction with  the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study influenza virus samples and global disease patterns to identify virus strains likely to cause the most illness during the upcoming flu season. Based on this research, the new vaccine will target the following strains:

• A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)-like virus
• A/Victoria/361/2011 (H3N2)-like virus
• B/Wisconsin/1/2010-like virus.

According to the CDC, between 5 percent and 20 percent of the U.S. population develops influenza each year. The CDC and FDA add that vaccination remains the most effective way to fight off the flu, especially this year.

“It is especially important to get vaccinated this year because two of the three virus strains used in this season’s influenza vaccines differ from the strains included in last year’s vaccines,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research in a statement.

The CDC encourages pregnant women to receive vaccinations, as they are at a higher risk for developing complications in infected. The CDC also adds that children younger than 6-months are not approved for the vaccine.

Will you and your family receive the vaccination?

Plus more from The Bump:

A Flu Shot During Pregnancy Prevents More Than Just the Flu

Vaccinations: What Baby Will Need

Vaccine Tracker Tool

Any parent with a colicky baby will tell you that dealing with colic is heartbreaking, aggravating and, well, pretty much your worst nightmare. Thankfully, a recent study shed some light on a possible cause of colic among newborns.

Researcher Dr. Abdelrazak Mansour Ali from Cairo studied 55 infants of varying age, sex and ethnicity that showed symptoms of colic. Of those chosen, 45 babies (81.8%) tested positive for Helicobacter pylori — a type of bacteria found in their stomachs. This bacterium can cause stomach discomfort, cramping and ulcers (ouch!). Dr. Ali noted that these infections may be considered the “etiologic pathogenic organism of infantile colic,” meaning there may be a legitimate cause of baby’s discomfort — it’s not “just crying.” Now if only researchers could fine a definitive cure!

Even though baby can’t communicate what’s wrong, there are some possible treatments to ease his pain. Dr. Ali recommends a daily dose of a probiotic to stimulate your baby’s stomach — but discuss any treatment or medication with your doctor before giving it to baby.

How did you deal with your baby’s colic? What do you recommend for other moms?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Why Is Baby Crying?

Tips for Surviving Colic

Calming a Colicky Baby

Every Wednesday, we’ll be featuring a fertility, pregnancy or parenting tip from real moms. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share, email community@thebump.com.

Having trouble getting baby to sleep? Try this tip from user Chemmom. She suggests placing a heating pad (on a low setting) in baby’s crib before bedtime. That way, “the bed is warm in the spot where I’m going to lay her down,” making it easier for baby to head off to dreamland. Chemmom says this trick also works if you need to take your little one out to feed in the middle of the night. Just make sure you unplug and remove the heating pad from the crib once baby is inside!

Get more sleep advice from the new moms on our Babies 0-3 Months message board.

What are your sleep tips? Did this trick work for you?

This week, actress Charlize Theron announced that she’s now a mom — she adopted a four-month-old baby boy, named Jackson. And while she was on Ryan Seacrest’s morning radio show promoting her new film Snow White and the Huntsman, she talked about her life as a new mommy. Charlize said she now “travels in a pack,” but is grateful for all the support. “It’s been amazing, the amount of emails and congratulations,” she said. “Everyone’s just been so lovely, it’s been really nice.”

When Ryan asked about her favorite baby gadget so far, Charlize sang the praises of a swaddle blanket. “I didn’t think I would be a fan of the swaddling, but the swaddling is pretty amazing,” she added. “It looks a little bit like a straightjacket and you just feel like it’s child abuse, but for some reason they just love it.”

Congrats Charlize!

What do you think of Charlize Theron’s adoption news? Did you find swaddling helpful too?